The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert due to cold and dense fog conditions as Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded the coldest night for a second consecutive day in the winter with minimum temperature dipping to 3°C.
The department has recorded the lowest temperature at 3°C in Aya Nagar, the last village of Delhi on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road on Saturday morning, the IMD said.
It also recorded the minimum temperature at 3.9°C on Friday night which is 3°C below the seasonal average.
According to media reports, more than 100 flights to and from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and 18 Delhi-bound trains have been delayed due to "dense and very dense fog" in Delhi and several parts of the country on Friday morning.
The IMD has placed a "Yellow" alert on Saturday and Sunday of dense fog, reports said.
The IMD said "cold" to "severe cold day" conditions continued at many places over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan due to very dense fog at many places, severely affecting normal lives.
Besides, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also grappling with isolated instances of dense fog, creating challenging conditions for residents.
Delhi continued to shiver on Saturday morning under the grasp of a relentless coldwave, accompanied by a thick layer of fog that has disrupted daily life for residents and commuters alike. To combat the bone-chilling temperatures, streets and public spaces became dotted with small groups huddled together around bonfires to keep warm, reports said.
NDTV on Saturday reported that a Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight from Mumbai was forced to land in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Friday night due to low visibility caused by dense fog at the Guwahati airport.
However, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 365 at 9am, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The IMD said a red alert has been issued in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh and a yellow alert, in view of cold and foggy conditions, has also been issued in Rajasthan.
